Flatiron



April 7, 1931. w. M. cnsssu. 8

FLAT IRON Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets5he9t l a 4/ l v 3mm April 7, 1931. v w; M. CISSELL FLATIRON Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 30 the steam.

PATENT-OFFICE; f j] wmrax I. arsenal-{or rmvmmrcii, imonn 13ml) rm'rmou .Amaliaatian filed December 10, 1829. Serial llfo. 418,115.

The invention relates to certainimprovements in flat irons involving self-contained heating units, preferably electrical, and provided with means for supplying live steam I through the face of the iron to the fabric operated upon the invention comprising means for suppl ing steam to the iron, preferably associated'wlth the heating means to maintain the steam at a propxer temperature, 1 a passage orpas'sages for t e steam within the body of the iron provided with vents' opening into the operating surface of the.

iron, with an expansion chamber formedi' within the body of the iron between the source of steam supply and the vented passage or passages, which will serve as a trap to retain any condensation'of the steam that may occur, the expansion chamber preferabl being provided with a fillin of absor nt heat resistin .material, w job will prevent any water 0 condensation entering the passages within the body of the iron and escapin through the .vents, as will be more particu arly pointed out in the following .3 specifications, predicated on the accompanyin drawings,1n which Y igi 1 is a side elevation of an iron involving t e invention, to ther with the accessories for supplying t e heating current and Fig. 2 is a'longitudinal sectional elevation ofan'irom'. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 ofF1g.2. V Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4.'-4 of.Fig.2. I l

Fig. 5 is a section similar to that shown in Fi 4, with certain elements omitted. K

Re erring to the di-awings,;1 indicates the body proper or base member of a-.flat iron, which is preferably formed as a casting suita f ably cored to form within the body one or moreeteampassag'es 2, which areconnected 3 with .the ope'rating'face of theiron by a mul I tiplicity of vent-openings 3.

Formed in the rear portion of the base. member, 1 is an enlarged chamber 5,. which is prefe blycircular in eros s section and a0 communicates with the steam passage or piss engaged sages 2 through openings 4 4 as more par ticularly shown in Fi s. 3 ahd 5.

The ends. of the su stantia'lly c lindrical expansion chamber 5 areprovide with eccentric extensions 6, 6, which constitute seats fora foraminated cylinder 10 of perforated metal, wire gauze or the'like, which constitutes the casing or cartridge .holder for a body of absorbent heatresisting material 11 of any'suitable character, but preferably asbestos fibre, which is packed into the cylinder 10, so that, when the latter is engaged in the seating extensions-60f the expansion chamher, one wall of the 'foraminated cylinder will overlie the o enings 4, 4 and the remainas der of the c lin er will bes aced from the inner wall 0 the expansion 0 amber 5 inthe manner and form particularly illustrated in threadedopening 7 is formed in one side of the base member in axial alignment with the seating extensions 6, 6 of the expan sion chamber 5 to permit the insertion and removal of'the foraminated cylinder 10 .con-

taining the absorbent heat resisting mate- 76 rial, which cylinder is held in position by means of a screw plug 8, which takes into, the opening 7.

Mounted on top of the base member 1 is the electrical heating unit '15,. which may be so of any preferred type, rovid'ed with the usual thermostatic contro andv which is held in osition by means of a follower or to a section 16 formed as a casting and secures to the 'baseby screw studs 17 and nuts 17.

The heating unit is rovided with the usual terminal .gosts 18, w ch are adapted tobe the usual cord and socketflconng to the source of electrical su nector le'a' 1y. 7 A sheet metal cover 20 of conventional cm is securedto the to section16 by means of the usual screw .stu 21,-said top section havin fastened thereto a handle22 equipped with t e usual guard 23 for the terminal connecting posts.

A section. of flexible metallic piping 25 leads into the interior of the irion and is formed with avU-bend lying. within the hollow interior of the] top-section 16 and in en-' gag'ement with the top 'oftheelectrical heating unit 15, the inlet end of the piping 25 being bent upwardly and the outlet end thereof being bent downwardly and laterally and provided with a coupling 26 by means by which it is connected with an elbow nipple 27, which is threaded in an opening 9 in the rear face of the base member 1 and has a perforated end portion extending through an opening in the foraminated cylinder 10 into the body of the absorbent material 11. The inlet end of the piping 25 is also provided with a coupling 29 by means of which connection is established with the flexible supply pipe 30, which, in turn, is connected to a fixed supply pipe 31 mounted above the board or table 46, upon which the iron is operated. The pipe 30 is preferably provided with a regulating valve 32 and with a shut ofi valve 34, which latter is operated by a spring treadle 35 and connecting rod 36, the valve 34: being normally closed by the spring treadle and opened when the treadle is depressed by the foot of the operator. Preferably interposed within the line of piping 31 is a steam chest 33, which is connected by a pipe 37 with the source of steam supply, the bottom of the chest opening into a drain pipe 38, provided with a trap 39, which takes care of any condensation. As a matter of convenience, the cord or similar electric conductor 40 may be clipped to the flexible pipe or hose 30, which supplies the steam, so that the cord and pipe move together, as the iron is operated.

In irons of this eneral type, as heretofore constructed, in or er to prevent spotting of the material, which is being pressed, with water of condensation, it has-been found absolutely essential to operate the electrical heating unit at such a temperature that any water within the iron would be converted immediately into steam. The maintenance of this high temperature renders the iron unfit for use with certain types of fabrics, more particularly those formed of synthetic filaments and generally known as artificial silk, rayon or the like, as such temperature is above the melting point of the s nthetic material and would destroy the fa ric made therefrom. By providing the iron with an expansion chamber between the source of steam supply and the vented steam passages within the body of the iron, any water of condensation will collect in the expansion chamber and will ultimately be converted into steam by the normal temperature of the iron maintained only sli htly above the boiling point of water and, t erefore, not suflicientl high to damage the fabrics being operate upon by the iron. Furthermore, the provision of the expansion chamber with the cartridge containing the heat resisting absorbent material in the manner and form shown will prevent any. suddensur e of the steam, when admitted to the iron, orcing any water which may have collected in the expansion chamber into the steam passage or passages within the body of the iron, as all such water will be immediately absorbed by the material within the cartridge or foraminated cylinder 10, which material is also capable of being heated far beyond the vaporization point of water without damage, so that the absorbed water will be eva orated by the heat taken up by the fibrous lling.

In the normal operation of the device, the operator depresses the treadle 35, which opens the valve 34 and permits the steam to be delivered by pipe 37, steam chest 33, pipe 31 and flexible pipe or hose 30 to the metallic piping 25, the U-bend of which is in direct contact with the top of the electrical heating unit within the iron and which, therefore, serves as a superheater for the steam, which latter is delivered from the discharge end of the pipe 25 into the nipple 27, thence into the interior of the body of the absorbent heat resisting material 11 within the foraminated cylinder 10 and thence through the openings 4 into the steam passages 2 and by way of ducts 3, Which open into the face of the iron, deliver the steam directly onto the material being operated upon. Should any water he carried by the steam or any condensation of the steam occur in its passage through the iron, the moisture will immediately be absorbed by the body of fibrous material 11, where it will be held until it has been evaporated by the heat of the iron. Should such an accumulation of water occur as to be beyond the absorptive capacity of the material 11, the excess water will merely accumulate in the lower portion of the expansion chamher 5, which is below the inlet to the steam passage 2 within the body of the iron and this accumulated water will be eventually converted into steam, as the iron heats up to normal capacity. It will be seen, however, that the iron may be operated to best advantage without the necessity of raising the same to an excessive temperature, which would da-ma e the fabrics being operated upon, but which will nevertheless insure the delivery of dry steam to the fabric and the complete avoidance of any water of condensation being permitted to enter the steam passages and vents within the body of the iron.

What I claim is:

1. A flat iron, comprising means for heating the same, means for supplying steam to the operating face of the iron, means within the body of the iron to trap and separate any water of condensation from said steam, and an abso'rbent in the trapping means.

2. A flat iron,-comprising means for heating the same, means for supplying steam to the o eratin face of the iron, an expansion cham er wit in the body of the iron to trap and separate any, water of condensation from in, a steam inlet passage an said steam, and an absorbent in said expansion chamber.

3. A flat iron, comprising means for heating the same, means for conducting steam adjacent the heating means and delivering the same to the operating face of the iron, said conducting means including an expansion chamber within the body of the iron to tra and separate any water of condensation, an an absorbent in said expansion chamber.

4. A flat iron, comprising means for heating the same, passages for conducting steam adjacent the heating means and delivering the same to the operating face of the iron, said passages including an expansion chamber within the body o fthe iron having a porand separate any water of condensation, and a heat resisting absorbent material in the expansion chamber.

5. A flat iron, comprising a base member having a pluralityof steam passages formed therein provided with vents leading therefrom to the face of said base member, a steaminlet communicating'with said passages, an expansion chamber interposed between said steam inlet and said-pass'a es, having a portion below the level of sai passages to trap and separate any water of condensation from the steam, and means within said expansion chamber for absorbing any excess moisture entering said base member from said inlet passage.

6. A flat iron, comprising a base member having a plurality of vented steam passages formed therein, a steam inlet passage opening into said base and an expansion chamber having a portion thereof located below the plane of said steam passages, and heat resistant moistu're-absorbing means'within said expansion chamber said means being adapted to permit the passage of live steam and to absorb excess moisture entering said base member through said inlet passage.

7 A flat iron, comprisin a base member having a plurality of vente chamber interposed between saidsteam inlet and the first named passages, portions of said expansion chamber being located below the plane of the said passages, a steam pipe adapt ed to communicate with said inlet passage and heat resisting moisture-absorbing means removably positioned within said expansion chamber said means being adapted to act as a separator whereby live steam will pass therethrough and-the water of condensation will be entrapped within said means or within the lower portion of said expansion chamber. 4

8. A 'flat iron, comprisin a base member having a plurality of vente steam assages therein, a steam inlet passage an an expansion chamber communicating on o osite sides with-said steam passagesand-sm inlet (passages therean expanslon passe a portion of said expansion chamber eing low the plane of the said passa a removable screen member positioned w ith in gsaid expansion chamber, means connected to said inlet passage and extendin within said screen member said screen mem r being ecexpansion chamber. tion at a lower level than the passages to trap WILLIAM M. as ELL. I 

